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The shortest supported VPS deployment for changedetection.io is Docker: run the official dgtlmoon/changedetection.io image, bind its port to localhost, and mount a persistent /datastore volume. Put Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, or another reverse proxy in front for HTTPS. Add the project’s Playwright/browser service only for pages that cannot be fetched correctly with ordinary HTTP.

This layout keeps the application private on the VPS, preserves watches across container replacement, and leaves browser rendering, notifications, and workload tuning as deliberate choices rather than defaults you may not need.

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What self-hosting changedetection.io involves

changedetection.io is a self-hosted website-change monitoring and notification service. Your VPS runs the application, stores watch definitions and change state, checks target pages on a schedule, and sends notifications through URLs you configure for each watch.

A practical installation has four layers:

  • Application: the changedetection.io container listening on port 5000.
  • Persistent data: a Docker volume mounted at /datastore.
  • Public entry point: a reverse proxy that terminates TLS and forwards requests to the local application.
  • Optional browser fetcher: a separate Playwright/browser service for JavaScript-heavy pages and browser actions.

You do not need the browser service for every watch. Start with the HTTP-only container and add browser fetching when a target page depends on client-side rendering, interaction, or a browser-only workflow.

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Choose Docker or Python

Docker and Compose

Docker is the most direct VPS route documented by the project. It packages the application and makes upgrades and restarts predictable. Compose is useful when you have a reverse proxy, a browser service, or other containers that should be managed together.

Python installation

The project also supports running with Python instead of Docker. Use that route when your operations standard already manages Python services directly. The exact virtual-environment, dependency, process-supervisor, and upgrade commands depend on the distribution and the project’s current Python instructions, so Docker remains the simpler starting point for a new VPS.

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Prepare the VPS

  1. Provision a current Linux VPS with enough CPU, memory, and disk for your watch count and fetch method. The project does not publish a universal minimum VPS size or a guaranteed watch-count capacity; browser-enabled workloads require more resources than HTTP-only checks.
  2. Install Docker Engine and Compose support by following the official instructions for your Linux distribution. Distribution-specific package commands are intentionally different, so do not copy an installation command for another operating system.
  3. Choose a hostname such as monitor.example.com and point its DNS record to the VPS before requesting a certificate.
  4. Create a deployment directory, for example /opt/changedetection, and restrict shell access and file permissions to administrators.
  5. Decide where you will store encrypted or otherwise protected backups of the datastore before creating production watches.

Deploy the HTTP-only container

The project’s standalone example binds the service only to the VPS loopback address. That means the application is reachable locally at port 5000 but is not directly exposed on the public network.

docker run -d --restart always 
  -p "127.0.0.1:5000:5000" 
  -v datastore-volume:/datastore 
  --name changedetection.io 
  dgtlmoon/changedetection.io

The -p setting maps host port 5000 to the container while retaining the 127.0.0.1 bind. The named volume is the important part for state: it mounts Docker-managed storage at /datastore, where watches and their state are kept. The --restart always policy asks Docker to start the container again after a daemon restart or an unexpected exit.

Check that the container started and that the local endpoint responds:

docker ps
docker logs --tail=100 changedetection.io
curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/

Do not publish 0.0.0.0:5000:5000 when a reverse proxy is intended. A public proxy should be the only internet-facing service, while changedetection.io remains on localhost.

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Manage the same deployment with Compose

A minimal Compose file equivalent to the standalone command is useful when you plan to add environment variables or a browser service later. Save this as compose.yml in your deployment directory:

services:
  changedetection:
    image: dgtlmoon/changedetection.io
    container_name: changedetection.io
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "127.0.0.1:5000:5000"
    volumes:
      - datastore-volume:/datastore

volumes:
  datastore-volume:

Start it with:

docker compose up -d
docker compose ps
docker compose logs --tail=100 changedetection

The project’s official Compose configuration adds browser-service choices and exposes additional tuning variables. Use that configuration when you need Playwright rather than inventing a second ad-hoc browser container.

Keep watches after updates and recreation

Container filesystems are disposable. A container replacement that does not reuse /datastore will appear to lose watches, history, and other state even though the old container image was working correctly.

  • With standalone Docker, keep the datastore-volume:/datastore mount unchanged whenever you recreate the container.
  • With Compose, keep the named volume declaration and service mount unchanged across edits to compose.yml.
  • Before upgrades, stop writes if practical and make a backup of the datastore volume using your normal VPS backup process. Store a copy outside the VPS so a disk failure cannot remove both the live data and its backup.
  • After an upgrade, verify that existing watches, their schedules, and notification settings are present before deleting the old container or pruning volumes.

Changing the volume name, mounting an empty host directory over /datastore, or running a new container without the mount are the common causes of an apparently blank installation.

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Put a reverse proxy and HTTPS in front

Use Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, or an equivalent proxy to receive public HTTPS traffic and forward it to http://127.0.0.1:5000. The proxy handles the certificate and public hostname; changedetection.io stays bound to localhost.

Nginx routing pattern

A minimal Nginx server block looks like this. Add your certificate directives and your distribution’s standard HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect separately.

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server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name monitor.example.com;

    # Configure ssl_certificate and ssl_certificate_key for your certificate.

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Prefix /;
    }
}

Reload Nginx only after its configuration test succeeds. Confirm that the public hostname shows the application and that the certificate is valid before creating watches intended for remote access.

Tell changedetection.io about the public URL

Set BASE_URL to the public HTTPS URL when notification links need to point back to your installation. Set USE_X_SETTINGS=1 so the application respects forwarded host, prefix, and protocol headers supplied by the reverse proxy.

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In Compose, add the settings under the service’s environment section:

environment:
  BASE_URL: https://monitor.example.com
  USE_X_SETTINGS: "1"

If you use standalone Docker, add equivalent -e BASE_URL=https://monitor.example.com and -e USE_X_SETTINGS=1 options when creating the container. Recreate the container after changing environment variables; editing a running container does not persist those settings.

Decide whether you need the browser fetcher

Ordinary HTTP fetching is lighter and simpler. It is usually sufficient for pages whose meaningful content is present in the server response. A JavaScript page may instead return an almost-empty document and fill it in only after a browser executes scripts. Browser steps, rendered screenshots, and some interactive flows also require a browser-capable fetcher.

Deployment CPU and RAM demand JavaScript rendering Browser steps and screenshots Container count and operations
HTTP-only Lower demand because it runs the application without a browser service Limited to what an ordinary HTTP fetch can obtain Does not provide the browser capabilities that require Playwright One application container; simplest to update and troubleshoot
Browser-enabled Higher demand because a separate browser service runs alongside the application Can render pages that need JavaScript execution Supports browser-oriented fetching and the related screenshot or interaction workflows documented by the project Application plus browser service; more moving parts, logs, and resource tuning

Enable the Playwright/browser option from the project’s official Compose configuration only after an HTTP-only watch demonstrates that rendering is the problem. The browser service has its own dependency relationship with the application, so copy the documented service definition and environment variables as a set rather than combining arbitrary images and ports.

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Diagnose a page before adding a browser

  1. Open the target URL in changedetection.io and inspect the fetched content, not just what your desktop browser displays.
  2. Choose a stable selector or filter for the content that should trigger a change.
  3. If the fetched document lacks that content because scripts have not run, move the watch to the browser-enabled fetch method.
  4. Retest the selector and screenshot after the browser service is healthy.

Do not run every watch through a browser by default. Each browser session increases resource use and operational complexity, while simple HTML pages gain nothing from it.

Create watches and notifications

Add the first watch

  1. Open the service through the HTTPS hostname.
  2. Create a watch for the target URL.
  3. Select the smallest reliable selector or content filter that represents the change you care about. A focused region avoids alerts caused by navigation, timestamps, or unrelated page elements.
  4. Choose the HTTP or browser fetch method based on the page behavior.
  5. Set a polling interval that respects the site and your VPS capacity. The application enforces a configurable minimum recheck interval.
  6. Save the watch and perform a manual check so you can inspect the first captured version before relying on alerts.

Configure notification URLs

Notification URLs are configured per watch in that watch’s edit interface. The project uses Apprise syntax, allowing a notification URL to identify the destination and credentials required by the selected service. Add one or more URLs to a watch, then trigger a controlled change or manual test and verify delivery.

API v1 also exposes notification endpoints that accept Apprise notification syntax. Use those endpoints when you create or update watches from automation, and keep notification credentials out of shell history, public repositories, and unencrypted backup files.

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Tune the workload

The official Compose configuration exposes controls for concurrency, polling, watch limits, locale, screenshots, and outbound proxies. The following defaults are configuration defaults from that file, not performance guarantees or promises about how many watches a particular VPS can sustain.

Variable Documented default What it controls
FETCH_WORKERS 10 Concurrent fetch workers. Raise cautiously only when the VPS and target sites can handle the additional work.
MINIMUM_SECONDS_RECHECK_TIME 3 Minimum time between checks. A higher interval reduces request pressure and background load.
PAGE_WATCH_LIMIT 100 Configured page-watch limit. Treat it as an application setting, not a guaranteed capacity figure.
SCREENSHOT_MAX_HEIGHT 16000 Maximum screenshot height in pixels. Large captures consume more memory and storage.

Other variables to plan for

  • TZ controls the service timezone, which affects displayed times and schedule interpretation.
  • LC_ALL controls locale behavior for a consistent language and formatting environment.
  • HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, and NO_PROXY define outbound proxy behavior when the VPS must reach sites through a proxy. Include local addresses in NO_PROXY when appropriate so internal traffic does not take an unnecessary proxy route.
  • Browser-service variables in the official Compose configuration control how the Playwright/browser component connects to the application. Keep the application and browser definitions from the same documented configuration revision.

Choose settings by symptom

  • Checks queue for too long: reduce the number of simultaneous browser watches, increase the minimum interval, or adjust worker concurrency gradually while watching CPU, memory, and logs.
  • Targets return errors or rate-limit responses: increase intervals, reduce concurrency, and use a selector that avoids unnecessary full-page checks.
  • Screenshots consume disk or memory: lower the maximum height unless a full-page capture is essential.
  • Times appear shifted: set TZ explicitly and verify the host clock.
  • Requests cannot reach a private or proxied target: review HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY, and NO_PROXY together rather than changing only one.
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Upgrade without losing service data

With Compose, update the image and recreate the service while retaining the named volume:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

With standalone Docker, pull the new image, stop and remove the old container, then create the replacement with the same name, port mapping, environment variables, and datastore-volume:/datastore mount. The volume must not be removed during this process.

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  1. Back up the datastore.
  2. Record the current image, environment variables, ports, and volume name.
  3. Pull the replacement image.
  4. Recreate the container or run docker compose up -d.
  5. Inspect logs, open the UI, and confirm that existing watches and notification URLs are still present.
  6. Keep the previous image available until the new instance has passed those checks.

Set a restart policy and monitor the container after host reboots. A restart policy helps recover from a process exit, but it does not replace log review, disk monitoring, backups, or an upgrade rollback plan.

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Troubleshoot the common failures

The UI is empty after a container update

Inspect the container mounts and confirm that /datastore maps to the original named volume. If a new volume name was created, stop the replacement and restore the original mount. Do not delete volumes while diagnosing the issue.

The proxy returns 502 or connection refused

Check docker ps and container logs, then test curl http://127.0.0.1:5000/ on the VPS. If the local request fails, fix the container first. If it succeeds, verify that the proxy points to port 5000 on localhost, that its configuration was reloaded, and that host firewall rules allow the public TLS ports.

Notification links use the wrong host or HTTP

Set BASE_URL to the public HTTPS address when links need to be public. Set USE_X_SETTINGS=1 and confirm that the proxy forwards host, prefix, and protocol headers. Recreate the container after changing environment variables.

A JavaScript page shows no useful content

Compare the content fetched by the HTTP method with the content visible in a normal browser. If the meaningful element is generated by JavaScript, add the documented Playwright/browser service, verify its dependency connection, and move only the affected watch to browser fetching.

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Checks are slow or the VPS is overloaded

Review worker concurrency, the minimum recheck interval, the number of browser watches, screenshot height, and watch limits. Browser sessions and large screenshots are heavier than ordinary HTTP checks. There is no project-published CPU/RAM profile that can predict capacity for every VPS, so measure your own workload and change one setting at a time.

Outbound requests fail only through a proxy

Check the spelling and scheme of HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY, then ensure NO_PROXY excludes localhost and other addresses that must remain direct. Restart the container after changing environment variables.

Security and reliability checklist

  • Bind the application to 127.0.0.1 and expose only the reverse proxy publicly.
  • Use a valid TLS certificate for the public hostname and redirect plain HTTP to HTTPS.
  • Configure the application’s authentication settings before sharing the URL.
  • Restrict VPS firewall rules to the ports required for administration and HTTPS.
  • Back up the datastore before upgrades and test that a restore contains watches and state.
  • Protect notification URLs because they may contain credentials or private destination identifiers.
  • Review container logs, disk usage, memory pressure, and restart events.
  • Keep the browser service disabled unless a watch genuinely needs JavaScript rendering or browser interaction.

Recommended operating model

Start with one Compose-managed HTTP-only service, a persistent datastore volume, and a reverse proxy on localhost-to-HTTPS routing. Create a small number of watches, validate selectors and notifications, and establish backups. Add the official browser service only for targets that fail HTTP fetching, then tune workers, intervals, screenshots, timezone, locale, and proxy variables according to observed behavior. This arrangement gives you a private, upgradeable changedetection.io installation without spending browser resources on pages that do not need them.

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